SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE BOARD OF ELECTION COMMISSIONERS FOR THE CITY OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

A. Accessible Voting Program

13. Accessible polling places at accessible sites are and shall be the cornerstone of the Board's voting accessibility program. The Board has an obligation to provide an accessible voting program under federal law, including a program that is accessible to persons with mobility disabilities and persons who are blind or have other vision disabilities. 42 U.S.C. § 12132. The Board's Title-II obligations require it to select facilities to be used as polling places that do not exclude individuals with disabilities from or deny them the benefits of the polling place, or otherwise subject them to discrimination, 28 C.F.R. § 35.130(b)(4); and to administer its voting program in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of persons with disabilities, 28 C.F.R. § 35.130(d).

14. For all elections beginning with the March 2018 election, the Board will begin implementing the recommendations set forth in Paragraph 18 to ensure that by the November 6, 2018 election, each and every polling-place location is permanently or temporarily accessible during the voting period and will relocate inaccessible locations to an alternative accessible location pursuant to the process established by Paragraph 24 of this Agreement.

15. The Board shall maintain in operable working condition on Election Day and during Early Voting those features of facilities and equipment (including, but not limited to, permanent equipment such as lifts and elevators, and temporary equipment such as portable ramps, traffic cones, signs, wedges, and door stops) that are required to make polling places accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities. 28 C.F.R. § 35.133(a). If circumstances arise such that a polling place location that was previously accessible is no longer accessible because a feature of the facility or equipment is no longer operable, then the Board shall purchase new equipment or relocate the polling place to an alternative, accessible location in accordance with Paragraph 24 of this Agreement, notwithstanding any provision in State law.

16. Beginning with the March 2018 election, if off-street parking is provided to voters at a polling-place location, a minimum of one van-accessible parking space will be provided in a level area temporarily during the voting period through the placement of traffic cones and appropriate signage, or in some other equally effective manner.

17. The Board will cooperate fully with the Department's efforts to monitor compliance with this Agreement including, but not limited to, providing the Department with timely access to polling places (including during the early-voting period), ward maps, surveys, and other reasonably requested information.

18. The Board agrees that the following temporary measures will be implemented where necessary to make an otherwise inaccessible polling place temporarily accessible during the voting period. This list is not exhaustive; the Parties may agree to implement other, reasonable temporary measures.

    1. Portable ramps (including curb ramps) up to and including ramps six feet long, with side edge protection.

    2. Portable wedges or wedge ramps.

    3. Floor mats.

    4. Traffic Cones.

    5. Relocating furniture or other moveable barriers.

    6. Door stops.

    7. Propping open doors.

    8. Unlocking doors.

    9. Signage, including parking signage.

    10. Portable buzzers or doorbells.

    11. Removing astragals in doorways that are not a permanent part of the structure.